Sam Jackson V Makes An Impressive Grab In Fall Camp

On Thursday, yet another new addition to Auburn's receiving room was making plays. Sam Jackson V, an addition from Cal University after the 2023 season, had what Hugh Freeze called his best practice yet. He figures to be in rotation for a wide receiver unit in 2024 looking to make a name for itself.

Sam Jackson has had run-ins with Auburn before, as he played as Cal's starting QB in last season when Auburn beat the Golden Bears 14-10. It wasn't the first time Jackson had met Auburn's starter though. Payton Thorne and Sam Jackson played together at Naperville Central, a High School outside Chicago, where they established a dynamic connection as QB and receiver. The tandem accounted for 50 passes for 847 yards and 14 touchdowns in their best season before going their separate ways, Thorne to Michigan St, and Jackson to TCU.

After 2 seasons with the Horned Frogs, Jackson left for California, where he would see the most action of his collegiate career at quarterback. In his game against Auburn, he tallied 135 yards for an underpowered offense that relied mostly on the talents of Jayden Ott. Since then, he's rejoined his old teammate, and figures to be a veteran presence for a receiver unit flush with new faces. When Payton Thorne was asked about Jackson in a fall camp interview, he said: "Watching him, he's in a whole different area." He also remarked that the improvement from Jackson in the span of only a few months has been impressive.

When asked in Jackson's own interview, he commented on the transition back to receiver, noting that the last time he'd played receiver was 2017, before going to college. He mentions further that Auburn being his third college means he's familiar with the process by now, so settling in wasn't as difficult as it might seem.